Thank you @xavier1 , @joaoquintela , and @Huw_Thomas .
Just to clarify Huw, that lime-green tree version was a joke pulling Lon and Bill’s legs. 
The real revision is the one below it. Your version looks good too.
João, your point is well taken, and I very much like your version as well. It definitely puts the spotlight on the tree.
This is a stunning image, I agree with all of the above, except I don’t think you should crop out the top arch, it looks like an ancient stone tablet.
Alice
A couple of other ideas. I actually think b&w may be the way to go because the browns don’t work well for me, particularly in the upper right quadrant. I thought it might be better to reverse and have the tree darker than the wall. I think more can be done with the b&w.
Black and white hadn’t crossed my mind; thanks for the suggestion. I’ll play with that.
John, I’m late to the show. I’m especially attracted to the arch and the colors below it. The tree, quietly, adds a fascinating story about life’s resilience, but this would look really good without the tree. The big diagonal crack adds extra interest to the rock face. (I like how the shaft of sunlight highlights the tree’s color in V2, 
)
Regarding Revision 2:
I like the image a lot as presented, and I understand fully why you wanted to also include the arched crack. It ends up in a very compelling image. However, if your main purpose is to tell a story about the tree hanging on to the cliff, maybe the arched crack have to go.
I am not very fond of the right edge, having this black color not matching the rest of the image. It has to be there to not place the tree too close to the edge, but I would have wished for another color.
Directly to the left of the image is an indentation in the rock that almost mimic the shape and size of the tree. Maybe that connection could be emphasized with some clever post-processing?
Great image as it is!
Hi John,
I have to say that this is a stunning image and I am glad you were able to notice the potential of this scene. Everything is so well framed here with the arch feature in the granite wall and the tree is perfectly placed in the frame. In fact the more I view this the streaking in the wall below the arch reminds me of a heart. I am also enjoying the numerous fissures in the wall. I think this also tells a story of the resilience of the natural world with the way the evergreen has carved out it’s own spot in what I would consider an impossible location. Beautifully done!
John,
Wonderful composition. I like the overall warmth in Revision 1 (the non-joke revision) but the tree still seems a little flat to me. I used a TK Darks 2 mask to isolate the tree and warmed it just a bit and raised the midtones up 9 points.
Second, I love how all the lines, lead to the tree and how it is surrounded by the different colors in the rock, dark gray and black on the right and ochre on the left.
I think the tree just needs a little more “life”. I am adding my take, if you do not mind.
[E1] leading directly to the tree
[E2] Leading to the tree as well
[E3] leading to the tree
[E4] to the tree
[D1] This line in the oxidized stone also leads to the tree
Processing example based on Revision 1:
I love the touch of brightness that @Youssef_Ismail added to the tree! To me, it needs just a touch of life to show it is surviving there. And now I’m feeling that the very dark rock on the right could be lightened and warmed just a bit. An astounding scene however you choose to present it!
Well you got me. The title alone had me looking for Waldo or somebody like that who climbs. And then I read everybody’s comments and there were a lot of them.
I really enjoyed that. Thank everybody for all their comments on John’s amazing picture photo.
Well somebody has to have a last laugh. I might as well be me since I’m late to the party.
A great image that everyone has contributed to Or it seems like everyone. Lots of excellent suggestions for revisions
A huge thank you to all: @Preston_Birdwell , @delton , @Diane_Miller , @Huw_Thomas , @Lon_Overacker , @Bill_Fach , @Michael_Lowe , @Glenys_Passier , @xavier1 , @joaoquintela , @Huw_Thomas , @alice , @Igor_Doncov , @Mark_Seaver , @Ola_Jovall , @Ed_Lowe , @Youssef_Ismail , and @David_Schoen ! You, and your amazing feedback, are what make NPN so valuable.
I love all the thoughts and suggestions. I find NPN to be especially helpful in reducing the biases that come from being the photographer. It’s easy to get tunnel vision and miss things that can make a photo be the best it can be. I’ll let this one set for a week or two, and then play with it a bit more with some of the additional suggestions since the revision. Thank you again!
It is a dramatic testament to the resilience and tenacity of plant life - this tree is amazing and the photo also.
John, hearty congratulations of the EP! So well-deserved!
